Electronic components are often retained in sockets mounted on a circuit board and in which pin terminals of the component are engaged by spring terminals of the socket with a force sufficient to maintain good electrical contact. In multiple pin electronic components, especially those having a large number of pin terminals such as microprocessor chips, the insertion force necessary to seat the component in an associated socket can be considerable and can lead to difficulty in installation of a component into its socket. The removal of the component from the socket also requires a force of magnitude sufficient to cause likely damage or even destruction of the component. Removal of a component from sockets of conventional construction often requires use of a tool for prying the component out of the socket.